Against all odds
by junkiemuffin
Summary: Roxas graduates from high school and moves to another city to start a new life on his own. A life that caughts him by surprise, when he meets a guy that makes everything take a turn to a completely different direction he could've imagined. And against all the odds, Roxas seems to be falling for him. Axel/Roxas, AU, M for sexual content, language etc.


**Soo, my first long story with an actual plot! Rated M mainly for future sexual content, some bad language, smoking and drinking, the usual! This is Axel/Roxas, with few possible sidepairings on the way, but mind you this is not one of those stories where every possible character is gay! So mainly just Akuroku. The first chapters are always such a drag, got to set the base for the actual story, sorry if it appears boring. Reviews would be reeally nice, critique too! Oh yeah, this is AU, took some names straight from the game but the world they live in is mainly "anonymous", pretty much like our real world but not set in any real country. For example, the name of their high school is "Traverse high school", but doesn't mean they live in Traverse town. The name just made somewhat sense so I picked it. You get the point I'm sure! ;)**

* * *

The weather was perfect. It had been a rather rainy May, but now the sky was cloudless and blue, the sun shining brightly and the fresh, green leaves standing absolutely still in the warm early-summer air.

Yes, everyone said it was a perfect weather for a graduation party. Everyone, except the couple of hundred youths gathered on a grass field outside Traverse High School, sitting on creaky, foldable chairs and sweating in their suits and dresses.

On fifth row sat a blond boy who hung his head back in a bored fashion, his gaze fixated on the vast blue of the sky that almost matched his eyes. He felt a small trickle of sweat running annoingly slow down his spine under his white collar shirt and black jacket. The boy sighed in frustration and loosened his tie a little to ease the heat around his neck.

"It's so damn hot in here. Why can't they for once forget the stupid traditions and hold the ceremony inside? We have an air-conditioned gym!" He complained.

The boy next to him, with strikingly similar eyes and looks but brunette hair, shrugged and wiped his damp forehead under his thick bangs.

"Dunno Rox. Guess they couldn't fit all the parents and siblings and weeping grannies.."

"Well at least they get to sit in the shade." Roxas answered and glanced back where somewhere their family was seated, nice and cool in the shade of the great trees that surrounded the school grounds.

"Sora! Can't you two be quiet for once?" Whispered a girl's voice from behind them. They both turned to look at a delicate girl with deep scarlet hair that was now curled and tied to a high bun. Her light blue dress matched her eyes perfectly. She was looking at the two boys scoldingly.

"Hey Kairi, I just told Roxas to look sharp!" Sora grinned at her defensively.

"And it's boring. Old man Ansem there has been talking like, what, half an hour?" Roxas glanced at their principal who stood on a platform in front of the crowd and babbled on about how proud he was of the new graduates and how he could see a bright future in front of them, if they just kept their ambitions high. Roxas looked around and saw that the said objects of pride were currently having pretty hard time staying awake.

"Close, but it's only been twenty minutes now." Kairi smirked at him. Roxas couldn't help but to think that she looked very pretty with her hair done like that and wearing make-up which she normally didn't. As if to state his thoughts out loud, Sora said:

"You look really pretty." the brunette smiled at her.

"At least Roxas seems to think so!" Kairi teased as she caught him staring. Roxas huffed and turned to face the principal again.

"Oi! That's my girlfriend you're looking at!" Sora punched his elbow in fake jealousy. Roxas shrugged noncommittally and flashed a sheepish grin.

"Well, like you just said, she does look pretty." Roxas admitted. They'd known each other for so long that they all knew it was just a friendly compliment.

"Thanks." Kairi said softly behind his back. He hummed in response and they fell into a bored silence again as Mr. Ansem showed no signs of ending his speech anytime soon.

Roxas' thoughts drifted off to the first day of high school three years ago. They had been so excited and nervous of getting into a bigger school and meeting new people. They lived in a pretty small city so many of their elementary or middle school classmates were attending to the same high school, but since Traverse High School was the biggest high school around, many students were coming from a distance too.

Roxas remembered how he had bumped into his later-to-be best friend Hayner on their first day. He had been filling his locker and had left his bag lying on the floor when Hayner had jumped around the corner and tripped over it. He had snapped at Roxas for leaving his stuff lying around just to trip people over, and Roxas, having guite a temper himself, had immediately shot something back. Their bickering soon led them to a small fight and they had gotten themselves a warning on the very first day of high school.

Later they had realized they actually got along pretty fine unless they didn't push each other's limits. Hayner had then introduced Roxas to his classmates Olette and Pence. The three of them had gone through elementary and middle school together and came from a smaller city not far from Roxas' home. The four of them had then become quite a tight-knit group and although they weren't in the same class, had hanged out together a lot.

Roxas couldn't help but to snicker to himself when he recalled his stupid fight with Hayner. They had both grown up a lot since, although Hayner still tended to be quite pushy and confrontational when provoked. Roxas glanced back a couple of rows where Hayner was sitting with the rest of his class, including Pence and Olette. His friend was slumping in his seat looking as bored as Roxas felt, and when their eyes met by chance, Hayner made a face and rolled his eyes. Roxas smirked at him, pulling his tie lightly in an act of choking himself with it. Hayner laughed at that and suddenly Roxas felt a sting of sadness. This was all going to be over after this day.

He turned in his seat and sighed. Time went past so fast. Old friends parted ways and everyone started their own lives. Roxas didn't feel ready for college yet, or for life in general. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to study next. He was really into photography and had even applied to an art college located in a bigger city further to the mainland, but it was really hard to get in and he felt unsafe without a second alternative. If he got in, it meant he'd have to move to the city and start a new life without his old friends. Part of him was excited to get out of this place, but the other part felt confused, it would be weird to be on his own. Although it'd surely be a relief to get away from home.

Roxas was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed that the principal had ended his speech and had called the teachers on the stage. It was the quiet rustling of clothes that alerted him and he noticed the actual ceremony had finally started.

Everything went quickly after that, the student's speech, receiving their certificates and occasional stipends, hugging friends and classmates and wishing them well, promises to keep in touch and finally heading home for the graduation party. Packed in the backseat of their car, between their sobbing granny who kept saying how proud she was of the both of them, and a rather hyperactive Sora who babbled on about the oncoming party at the beach tonight, Roxas felt an oncoming headache.

"I think I have a sunstroke," he mumbled to himself and rubbed his eyes, irritated about all the fuss.

"Ah shut up! Don't think you're gonna ditch the party!" Sora huffed.

"I heard they have this huge bonfire there, and music and everything!" He kept going. Roxas sighed.

"Yeah that's what you've been saying for the last ten minutes, so could you just leave it already!" Roxas snapped. At the moment he just hoped the whole day would be over, since they still had the party at home for all their relatives and he had a feeling it was going to be a real pain in the ass. He hated how people that he saw only few times a year in formal occasions like this were asking him questions about his future plans, when all they really were interested in was the free food and beverages and gossiping about their relatives.

Sora looked hurt and their mother was scolding Roxas from the front seat and telling him to act nicely in front of their granny. Roxas sunk deeper in his seat and decided to shut his ears from everything until they finally pulled up their driveway. Maybe it would be a relief to move away indeed.

Their mother hurried inside to get all the foods and drinks out and ready for the guests, as Roxas and Sora were told to go to the backyard and make sure there were enough foldable chairs and help granny to get seated somewhere in the shade. The first guests arrived soon after and it wasn't long until their backyard was filled with aunts, uncles, cousins and few others the boys' weren't exactly sure how they were related with, but politely kept the conversation going anyway.

After explaining his rather unsure future plans about the tenth time, Roxas seeked refuge in the far corner of the yard, in the shade under their single apple tree. Sora followed him and rolled his eyes.

"Man, I could just stick a note on my forehead that says 'Yes I did apply to university to study geography and yes, I have a summerjob which pays off fine, yes I already have a girlfriend." He huffed as he leaned on the trunk of the apple tree.

"Well at least your response makes them happy. Everyone is just telling me to get a "real education" and keep photography as a hobby," Roxas stated, annoyed.

"A real bunch of morons in their nine-to-five jobs." He growled and kicked the grass to let out some of his irritation. Sora hummed in response and let his eyes wander idly around the yard, until spotting a familiar figure coming towards them.

"Hey," he nudged Roxas who turned to look around his shoulder to see who Sora was looking at.

"Isn't that Leon, our cousin? Wasn't he a bit weird the last time we saw him?" Sora asked as the said man made his way across the lawn.

"Yeah, he's like an artist or something.." Roxas responsed quietly before they nodded their greeting to the man.

"Hey, congratulations you two." Leon nodded back. He was a rather tall, well-built but slender man with long brunette hair and a nasty scar that went down his forehead and ended between his eyes. According to their mom, the scar was something he had gotten on one of his many trips abroad. Rumours told he had gotten mugged and stabbed in the slums of some exotic little town somewhere where he had been backpacking alone. They'd been told he had been travelling around the world for a couple of years before coming back home and studied to become a movie-director of some sort. Apparently, he was a rather extraordinary person and an artistic nature to say the least.

"Quite a show!" Leon commented as he lighted a cigarette, referring to the crowd of relatives on the other side of the yard. Roxas and Sora nodded, unsure of what to say to the peculiar man.

"I heard you've applied to study photography in the city?" Leon eyed him behind his long hair and blew out a cloud of smoke. Roxas shrugged.

"Yeah, but it'll take another two weeks before I know if I got in."

"Don't give up if you don't get in yet, it can take a couple of tries and if that's what you really want to pursue in your life, just hold on to your vision and you'll get in," Leon advised with his low voice, flicking his cigarette. Roxas nodded, feeling rather pleased by the fact that at least one person didn't stomp his dreams to the ground.

"And you've applied to study geology in the university right?" Leon asked Sora, who immediately started grinning despite having just complained about nswering the exact question so many times.

"Yeah! I've always been interested in geology ever since I was a kid, I'd love to be a teacher one day but before that I wanna travel around the world and find out about all the different places and stuff!" Sora babbled, Roxas grunted in mock-annoyance and Leon gave a small laugh.

"You got to do what you love, no matter what other people say, remember that." Leon said before dropping his cigarette, stepping on it and giving them a small wave before walking off.

Sora and Roxas shared a look.

"Well, at least he's always done what he wants to, no matter what others say." Sora muttered. Roxas hummed in thought and fished his cell-phone from his pocket to check the time.

"Only an hour and then we can head to your bonfire-party." He announced and Sora gave an excited cheer.

"It's gonna be crazy!" He piped and turned to walk back to where their mother was calling them.

"Yeah at least when you get your hands on alcohol.." Roxas muttered quietly under his breath as he followed his brother. He really needed to do something to this head-ache before that.

* * *

It had been hours since Roxas and Sora had arrived to Sora's best friend Riku's beach house where the graduation party was held. Riku had graduated before them, but he had traditionally held a party every year the summer holidays started, and since he still had lots of friends graduating he had decided to host yet another party. Riku's parents weren't short of money and they owned a huge three storey house with a private strand of beach right outside of town and it was a perfect place to host a party for about 100 youths. Enough room for people to dance, fight, make-out and get drunk without anyone complaining about the noise and mess they made. Not to mention that Riku's parents had a bar in their living room and Riku owned a rather powerful set of speakers that were currently blaring out at the highest possible volume.

Roxas had been spending the last few hours with Hayner and the others before they had decided to go swimming. Roxas wasn't that excited about drunk-swimming so he had been hanging around with some of his classmates, caught up in a stupid drinking game. Now he was trying to find Sora, which wasn't an easy task since he was getting quite drunk and there were simply too much people and noise everywhere to even hide his loud and usually quite attention-drawing brother. Roxas staggered around, stumbling on every possible object and person on the way, trying to get outside. When passing the staircase he stumbled on a pair of legs and fell right in front of the two people obviously making out at the end of the stairs. As he tried to gather his intoxicated thoughts and himself off the floor, he heard a familiar voice.

"Roxie! Someone's drunk!" Roxas glanced up and saw Sora and Kairi sitting on the stairs, both looking quite flushed and drunk themself, too. Roxas grunted and tried to heave himself up, failing miserably. Sora giggled.

"You guys, seriously, get a room. And give your fucking brother a hand here!" Roxas slurred as his head started spinning more and more every minute. Sora got up from the stairs and started to hoist him up, but then breaking into a fit of drunken laughter and falling on top of Roxas.

"I'm too drunk Rox," he complained and rolled around on the floor. Roxas was starting to feel annoyed and he gave a demanding look on Kairi, who was laughing at them from the stairs. Finally, with a help from Kairi and the staircase handrail, the both boys got up.

"I'm leaving, I need some air." Roxas growled and turned to walk away.

"We were supposed to stay here the whole night remember, you can't go home like that!" Sora yelled after him. Roxas just gave him an annoyed wave without turning and finally found the front door and staggered out.

The fresh air caressed his face and cleared his head a bit, and he scuffed through the sand to the shore, away from all the drunken idiots, before sitting down on the sand to try and get his mind back on it's track.

He stared at the sea and the horizon, the sun slowly starting to rise and coloring the sky with an amazing shade of red and orange. He wished he had his camera. Except he was too drunk to get a good picture anyway. He sighed and fell down to the sand, closing his eyes. Suddenly he could sense everything so clearly, the sand beneath his back, the cool sea air, smell of the salty water and the music and noise from the house. It all blended to a soothing static in his mind and he started to drift off into a peaceful drunken slumber, until he heard a soft scuffing of feet and a light touch on his chest. Slowly he opened his eyes and after his vision cleared, saw a familiar pair of light-blue eyes above him.

"Roxas, are you okay?" Asked a silky voice gently. Roxas was too tired to actually get up so he just closed his eyes again and kept laying on the sand.

"Just tired," he mumbled. He felt the girl shift next to him and when he opened his eyes she had sat down on the sand and was staring at the sea.

"Just thought I'd check, you looked pretty drunk back there." She said and turned to look at Roxas.

"You were stalking me, Naminé?" He answered and the girl chuckeld.

"Just keeping an eye on you, since we're friends, right?" She said and Roxas started to feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah, we are.." his voice trailed off as he hoped the conversation would end without any drama. He was just too tired. And drunk.

"You're still very important to me, you know. It would be nice to hang out together sometimes, to know how you're doing," the girl kept going. Roxas pushed himself up into a sitting position, knowing that his peaceful slumber just wouldn't happen right now.

"Sure. I just don't wan't you to get any wrong ideas, you know. I was serious when I said it wouldn't work out." Roxas tried to keep the rising annoyance off his voice and instead dug his fingers into the soothingly cool sand, avoiding the girl's eyes.

"I know, I just miss you so much and I miss your company, I didn't even see the portfolio you sent to that art school," Naminé insisted, turning so she was facing Roxas.

"You used to show me your photos and ask for critique, and now you're so distant despite we were supposed to stay friends." Roxas pulled his knees up and put his arms around his legs as he suddenly started to feel chilly. He didn't feel that drunk anymore, but still too tired and unfocused to deal with sobbing ex-girlfriends.

"I just need some distance, and you need it too. To move on, you know? We can't do that if were still together every day". He didn't mention the fact that he had been more relieved to get out of the relationship than actually sad.

Naminé pouted and lowered her eyes and Roxas prayed that she wouldn't start crying just because she was drunk and having a nobody loves me-moment.

"I just miss you, that's all," she said miserably. Roxas suppressed his will to scream and run away, instead staring out into the sea for a while before answering.

"It will stop, and you'll find someone who is better than me," he said, trying to figure out a way out of the situation without making Naminé freak out and cry. Why did he ever have to date someone so fragile and sensitive? You just couldn't get out of it without making a bloody mess.

As he was trying to come up with his next move, Naminé made her's first and suddenly her lips were all over Roxas' and hands tangling in his hair. Roxas shot up from the sand and staggered backwards in disbelief, leaving Naminé kneeling on the sand.

"Naminé! This is what I meant, don't you get it? It's over, move on!" He yelled and turned to get away as fast as possible so he wouldn't have to see her crying. _Forget the not freaking her out-part,_ he thought in annoyance as he walked through the sand. He didn't turn to look back and with mixed feelings he hurried all the way back to the house and made his way through a mass of passed out youth and climbed upstairs. Riku had promised they could share a spare bedroom with Sora and Roxas didn't want anything more right now than to fall onto a bed and sleep off the alcohol and forget everything. When he got into the room he saw Sora and Kairi sprawled all over the double bed, among a few other people that had made their way upstairs and then passed out on the floor. He gave an annoyed grunt, and headed back to the hall. Looking around, he saw Riku's bedroom door open. Knowing there was a small couch there he glanced in and saw only Riku sleeping on his bed with some blonde girl, fortunately with some decent clothes on. The couch was empty and he took the liberty to walk in and fall onto it, and a second later he had dozed off.


End file.
